TTM Stats
- Sent: 12/23/2021 | Received: 1/10/2022 | 17 Days
- ’76 Topps, ’76 Topps Traded (plus fee)
- Address: Home (address from Sports Card Forum)
The Story of the Autograph
Mickey Lolich is a former left-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues. He played from 1963 to 1979 primarily with the Detroit Tigers and then spent the last few years of his career with the New York Mets and San Diego Padres.
Lolich is a native of Oregon. He was born a righty, but after an accident to his left collarbone left him in a cast, he started using his left side to develop it. In the excelled in baseball growing up, setting state records for strikeouts in the American Legion and Babe Ruth leagues. The Tigers signed him as an amateur free agent in 1958 and after several years in the minors he debuted on May 12, 1963.
Lolich showed how good he could be in just his second year in the league. He put up an 18-9 record that year and had a 3.26 ERA. But maybe more telling is that he had just under 200 strikeouts that year with 192. He would go on to throw more than 200 strikeouts seven times, all while with the Tigers. He even maxed out at 308 strikeouts in 1971. He was a three time All-Star (1969, 1971, and 1972). That 1971 year was probably his best as he had a league leading 25 wins, a 2.92 ERA (almost a career best), 45 starts, and 29 complete games.
His greatest success was in 1968. He helped the Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. He went 3-0 in the Series with a 1.67 ERA and only gave up five earned runs and pitched three complete games with 21 strikouts. He even helped his own cause by hitting a home run in Game 2, the only home run of his career.
He was traded to the Mets with Billy Baldwin after the 1975 season for Rusty Staub and Bill Laxton. Originally he vetoed the trade, which players could do if they had anough time with a team, but was convinced to take it back. He had a terrible time in New York and was out of baseball for a year and had a doughnut shop in Detroit. But he would be back with the Padres the following season, mostly as a relief pitcher. He decided to retire a the end of the 1975 season.
The Score on Mickey Lolich – 6.5
This one is an interesting one for me. It’s one that works with the “Mets Legend” moniker for that 1976 Topps Traded card. On top of that, there’s that beautiful airbrushing. But the Record Breaker card is the best because it really kind of fits Mickey’s career as a strikeout guy and Tiger great. I don’t think I knew what his signature looked like and I’ll have to think about which cards I pick if I try him again in the future.
Thanks Mr. Lolich! I’m giving this return a 6.5.
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Information gathered using Wikipedia and Baseball Reference.